Pastor Planning Koran Burning Ignores Petraeus’ Warning

By Staff | September 7, 2010 | 11:34 AM EDT

Rev. Terry Jones at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., Monday, Aug. 30, 2010. Jones plans to burn copies of the Quran on church grounds to mark the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States that provoked the Afghan war. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Gainesville, Fla. (AP) - A Florida church is rebuffing warnings by the U.S. military's top official in Afghanistan to cancel a scheduled Sept. 11 burning of the Muslim holy book.

Pastor Terry Jones told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he agrees his plan to burn the Quran could provoke violent opposition.

However, Jones says America should quit apologizing for its actions and bowing to kings.

Jones is the head of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville.

Gen. David Petraeus says the plan to burn the Quran there could endanger U.S. troops and the safety of Americans worldwide. He says images of the Quran burning would be used by Islamic extremists to inflame and incite violence.

A Florida church is rebuffing warnings by the U.S. military's top official in Afghanistan to cancel a scheduled Sept. 11 burning of the Muslim holy book.